


The World Needs Both Of Us

by Rebeccaseal



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Force Visions, Rey Needs A Hug, The Force Ships It, humor but also angst, pancake stabbing, smiley face pancakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 23:29:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20266306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebeccaseal/pseuds/Rebeccaseal
Summary: “Monster,” Rey whispered.Kylo stepped closer again, making their bodies almost touch. Calmly, he asked, “Is that how you really feel?”“So in your head, I’m basically a robot you hate?”“Yeah, basically.”“I thought you hated me,” he murmured. He could see the conflict in her eyes at his words and knew it was deserved.“I . . . can’t hate you. I don’t know why.”The Force pushes them together, as if it wants them to see the person unalterably connected to them. As if it knows both of them can change.





	The World Needs Both Of Us

**Author's Note:**

> My first (and only) serious Reylo fic. There's just too much angst and this went way further than I anticipated. Enjoy!

Rey walked along a dimly lit hallway in yet another Resistance base. She’d lost track of how many they’d fled to after Luke had sacrificed himself. And yet again, she walked alone, trying to ignore the whispers in her head, ones that sounded a lot like Kylo Ren.

A shadow made her turn. “Who’s there?” she asked, eyes darting around the deserted hallway. But she was the only one there.

Rey resumed walking, only to bump into something hard. And warm. And dressed in black.

“ _ You _ ,” she spat.

Kylo Ren smirked, dark eyes flashing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think you were disappointed to see me, Rey.”

“Get out of my head,” she ordered, glaring at him.

“You know that’s not how this works,” he replied, smiling arrogantly.

Rey retorted, “I know. I just want to make sure you know you’re not wanted. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy.”

Kylo blocked her way. “Busy doing what? Walking the same path down the halls for the fifth time today? I know you’re not busy.”

“I need to make sure there’s no security breach that will allow you to sneak in here and kill me in my sleep.” Rey crossed her arms and glared at him again.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Killing you in your sleep isn’t any fun,” Kylo told her. “Besides, you’re the only thing of value in the Resistance anyway.”

Rey put her hands on her hips. “Well, there’s nothing of value in the First Order, so you can leave me alone now.”

Kylo stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. “I almost agree with you. But if you would just join me, we’d be the most valuable team the galaxy has ever seen.”

“In your dreams, Ben,” she hurled at him, taking a step back.

He stepped forward again, clearly angry. “You are so lucky I haven’t located your base yet.”

“Monster,” Rey whispered.

Kylo stepped closer again, making their bodies almost touch. Calmly, he asked, “Is that how you really feel?”

“I —”

He vanished. Rey let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and plopped onto the floor. He made her blood pressure rise too much.

Ben stormed through the halls of a First Order ship, rage emanating off him in waves. That idiot Hux had ordered an unauthorized attack on a Resistance base, and he was going to pay. Everyone stayed out of his way, sensing his fury, and let him by. What made him even madder was the thought in the back of his mind that maybe he was worried about what Rey would say when she heard — that she’d blame him for the attack on a Resistance base that was inhabited and likely contained some of her friends. He shook off the thought and continued to look for Hux. He didn’t care about Rey’s reaction; that would be absurd.

Something tickled the back of his mind, and he spun around in the empty hallway. The artificial light revealed nothing, but something was definitely there. No,  _ someone _ .

“Come out,” he ordered, not in the mood for this.

No one appeared, so he turned back around with a scowl and saw her, sitting on what appeared to be nothing.

“Rey,” he growled, stalking closer.

She looked up with a start and immediately shot to her feet, knocking something over, presumably what she’d been sitting on.

“Kylo,” she hissed.

Had she ever said his name before? Certainly not with that much venom. “Looks like we’re here, again,” he remarked.

She crossed her arms. “Yes, and we both know neither of us want to be here.”

Ben’s scowl deepened. “So are we just supposed to wait it out, then? I have things to do.”

“Like attack more Rebel bases?” she accused, stepping right in his face. “Do you know how many innocent lives you killed? The base was in the middle of a city! How can you live with yourself?”

“I didn’t kill them!” he yelled, patience gone. “Hux did! I never authorized that attack, and I certainly would never wipe out an entire city! Is that what you think of me? That I have absolutely no regard for life?”

Surprise registered in Rey’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced what her usual hatred. “Yes, it is! You never hesitated before; why would you hesitate now,  _ Supreme Leader? _ ”

The title hurt him, like she’d thrown a rock at his heart. “You and I both know those were Snoke’s orders, not mine,” he spat. “I am not him.”

“But you want to be. You followed his orders, and even now, your loyalty is with him.”

He couldn’t say anything. Denial and acceptance fought in his mind and must have shown in his face, because Rey took a step back and dropped her arms.

“Well, figure it out, because the rest of the universe won’t stop dying until you stop killing them.”

She was gone. Her words lingered in his mind, though, and he hated how true they rang. 

Rey twirled her lightsaber, dodging and jumping around an imaginary foe. It was all too easy to picture Kylo across from her, parrying and feinting with her. So easy that it took her a moment to realize he was there, idly sparring with her.

Startled, she froze, and his lightsaber halted near her neck in an attack she easily could have blocked had she not been surprised.

“Distracted, are we?” Kylo inquired, a smile playing around his lips. He turned off his lightsaber and put in on some surface she couldn’t see. The conflict she’d seen in him last time was nowhere to be found, and she didn’t know whether it was gone or he was just exceptionally good at hiding his feelings. Unlike her.

“You startled me, that’s all,” she snapped.

“Isn’t the real thing better than an imaginary one?” he pointed out.

“I was  _ not _ thinking of you!” she retorted.

His smirk returned. “Did I say you were?”

Taking a deep breath, Rey said with a tense smile, “I’m really not in the mood for this, so please go away.”

Kylo took a step toward her. “I don’t know if you know this, honey, but that’s not how it works. I have just as little control over this as you do.”

She hated that smirk. It made her blood pressure rise, and she didn’t need another thing to worry about.

He took another step toward her, but she refused to back away; he took another, and their faces were inches apart. Those dark eyes revealed nothing to her, and she could only hope hers did the same.

Then she was standing in an empty hallway, waiting for her heartbeat to slow.

Ben ran his hand through his hair again, again, again. Should he cut it? The mirror didn’t respond. He wondered what Rey’s reaction would be if he cut it. Maybe he should do it just to see her face.

Rey’s face stared back at him, shocked and slightly red. Yes, it would probably look like tha— 

He spun around, and she was right there, in his bathroom, staring at his body wrapped only in a towel. She wore a thin nightgown of sorts that he wished was more revealing and not ankle-length.

Rey sighed and muttered, “Can’t I just sleep for once without you interrupting me?”

“Do I normally interrupt you?” he asked, confused. “I’m pretty sure this is the only time — unless you  _ dream _ of me?” A smirk grew on his face, and he enjoyed the annoyed glare she threw at him.

“No, I do not. I only dream of a world you’re not in,” she retorted, hands on her hips.

“Ooh, that’s harsh. Wouldn’t you get lonely though?” he taunted. “I bet you’d miss me and moments like these.” Ben reached forward and ran a knuckle over her soft cheek, which was more sunken than he liked.

“No!” She batted his hand away and back away from him. “I don’t need you—”

She tripped over something he couldn’t see and instinct made him catch her around her waist and hug her close. She froze, and all he could hear was the adrenaline in his body and her heart beating like a galloping horse.

They stood there for a minute, hearts quieting and thoughts slowing. After a while, she squirmed, and he released her reluctantly.

Not wanting her to leave, Ben blurted, “Should I cut my hair?”

Rey’s brow furrowed. “No, why would you do that? Your hair looks good the way it is . . .” She flushed a bit and looked away.

“You think my hair looks good?”

“That’s not what I — never mind, I — ugh, you’re so frustrating!” Rey crossed her arms defensively.

“You don’t have to be frustrated,” he told her, knowing she hated his smirk. “We can fix that.”

She reddened and exclaimed, “You’re so—”

She vanished.

“Frustrating, I know,” he finished for her with a laugh. He hated how unpredictable the length of time they were connected was. He definitely wasn’t cutting his hair, though.

The tears wouldn’t stop, nor would her trembling. She sat on a bench, freezing in the rain and wind, but she couldn’t move.  _ Wouldn’t _ move. Somewhere out there, Poe was freezing, too, and she didn’t know whether he was alive or not.

She wrapped her arms around herself, staring out into the bleak darkness. Maybe if she sat there long enough, he’d come back. What she wouldn’t give for a distraction. She’d even welcome Kylo Ren, because at least if she was yelling at him, she wouldn’t be cold anymore.

“Are you okay?”

Rey looked up at the tall, dark figure that had appeared next to her. Why was it that he’d appeared as soon as she’d thought of him?

Kylo sat on the bench next to her and wrapped his cloak around her. His face held concern, and she didn’t know what to make of that. However, the tears still didn’t stop, so she didn’t stop him from sitting there. He was warm anyway, and she didn’t have enough energy to fight.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly, soothingly.

It took her a moment to find her voice. “Poe’s out there, somewhere. His – his plane crashed and we lost the signal and — I don’t know if he’s still alive, or if he can make it back and we sent search planes but they haven’t come back—” She broke down into sobs again, and he slowly put an arm around her.

“He’ll be okay,” Kylo whispered, rubbing her back. “I can feel it.”

“You can?” she asked, looking up at him. His face seemed softer than usual, the scar not so harsh, the eyes not so intense.

“He’s fine,” he reassured her, pushing her face into his chest.

Even if he was lying, she still felt better with his arms around her and his cloak around both of them. For that moment, she forgot he was the enemy and let herself cry against him.

“Rey! Rey, they found him!”

She jerked her head up, and Kylo disappeared, along with his warmth. 

“Rey!” Finn was running towards her. “They found Poe!”

She could still feel Kylo’s arms and could almost hear him saying, “I told you so.”

One minute he was eating pancakes by himself in his room, the next he was eating pancakes with Rey in his room. 

“You eat pancakes?” she asked, clearly surprised. She sat next to him, with pancakes of her own. He was glad she wasn’t crying anymore, and confused at why he hated seeing her cry so much. Then again, how could anyone cry while eating pancakes?

“I’m still human,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “Am I not allowed to eat them?”

Rey shook her head. “You just don’t seem like a pancakes kinda guy. Actually, I never pictured you eating anything.”

“So in your head, I’m basically a robot you hate?”

“Yeah, basically.”

Well, that stung. Ben glanced over at her pancakes and blinked. “Your pancakes . . . have smiley-faces on them,” he observed.

Rey flushed. “Yeah, well, I kinda needed something to cheer me up, okay? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this whole war we’re in is kind of depressing.”

Choosing to ignore the jab, he asked, “So you cheer yourself up with smiley-face pancakes?”

“No judging!” Her pout was adorable. The pancakes were adorable. He didn’t want to admit that she was adorable, too. 

“I’m not judging.”

“Oh, really?” Rey leaned toward him, invading his space.

“Yes, really.” He leaned in, too, and they were inches apart.

“I don’t believe you.” She held his gaze.

“Oh.” He had no idea what they were talking about anymore. He just wanted to close the gap and— 

She disappeared.

“Damn it,” Ben swore, stabbing his pancakes in frustration.

Ben — no, Kylo Ren, needed to get out of her life. The last few times the Force had connected them he’d been far too human for her liking. The conflict she saw in him, and gentleness he sometimes displayed — all of it just confused her. Did she hate him? Not exactly. She didn’t like him, but she found herself drawn to him, comforted by him. And anyone who liked pancakes couldn’t be completely evil.

Rey leaned back in the bathtub, stretching her legs out and enjoying one of the few luxuries she allowed herself.

Why couldn’t the universe just let her hate Kylo Ren? That’s what she wanted, and it seemed like that’s what he wanted, too. No, the Force just had to go and show her how frustrating and hot and adorable Ben wa— 

Someone coughed, and Rey whipped her head around and stared at a fully-clothed Ben as he stared back at her, his face completely red. Oh, yeah, she was naked. She quickly covered herself up with her hands, cursing the fact that there was no shower curtain and her towel was behind him.

“Can you, like, look away or something?” she snapped, fed up with the Force and its meddling.

Ben swallowed and turned around, running a gloved hand through his hair. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Yeah, I know. Can you hand me my towel?” Rey wasn’t in any mood to be polite, though she was a bit happy that he seemed so flustered. She’d never admit that, though.

“I can’t see your towel,” he said. 

She’d forgotten about that. “Cover your eyes,” she demanded.

He obediently put a hand over his eyes, and she snuck around him to grab her towel and wrap it around herself.

“Okay, you can look now,” she allowed, tucking the end of the towel in to secure it. “I know you can’t control it,” Rey said more gently at his apologetic expression.

Ben ran his hand through his hair again — she found that a little too sexy — and seemed not to know where to look. Admittedly, her towel was pretty short and barely covered everything it was supposed to.

“You just — you — ugh,” he groaned, looking away from her.

“What?” she asked, confused at his loss for words.

“You’re really distracting,” he blurted, blushing a bit.

“It’s not my fault you barged in on me taking a bath,” she retorted, causing his face to become redder.

“Well, it’s not mine, either,” he countered. “I was trying to get some work done before you distracted me.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault you’re distracted?”

“Yes, it is! You can’t just appear naked in my office with no warning!”

“So what, next time the Force connects us I should give you a  _ warning _ ?” Rey glared at him and took a step towards him.

“Yes, you should.” Ben also took a step towards her, glaring back.

“That makes no sense! What about the time you appeared in my bedroom wearing a towel smaller than this? Did you give me a warning?”

“It’s not like I could! Besides, you didn’t seem to mind,” he pointed out with that infuriating smirk.

“That’s besides the point—”

“So you admit that you didn’t mind?”

“I never said—” Rey paused, realizing their faces were inches away from each other.

Ben stared back at her for a moment, then grabbed her face and kissed her. Hard. She found herself kissing him back with equal fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging at his hair. He put one hand on her waist and pulled her into him, and the world spun a bit. Someone moaned, and she realized it was her as his hand slipped lower along her back. She could feel his smirk through the kiss, annoying her a bit, so she rubbed herself against him and enjoyed the resulting groan he let out.

“Wait,” she panted, “the towel is slipping.”

Ben roughly yanked it up her body and kept kissing her. After another minute, Rey pushed him away and took some much-needed breaths. She adjusted the towel as both of them awkwardly looked away.

“Sorry, I—” Ben started.

“Don’t be,” she interrupted, face red. How did they normally talk to each other?

Ben cupped her face in his hands again, this time gently. “I . . .” He seemed at a loss for words, just like her.

Not knowing what to say, Rey hugged him, burying her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. The strength and warmth in his body made her feel safe.

“Rey . . .”

She looked up at him, and then he was gone. Inexplicably, Rey felt a strange feeling of loss. He was a monster, but whenever she saw him, he was as human as she.

He sighed in frustration. He hadn’t stopped thinking about the kiss all week, and it was driving him crazy, completely distracting him from the war. Even the fact that he hadn’t seen her for seven days was torturous; lately, the Force had connected them more frequently, and he’d gotten used to seeing her at least twice a week. 

Her eyes, though, right before she’d disappeared, haunted him. Half-filled with longing and loneliness, and half with fear. He thought it wasn’t fear of him, but fear of how well they fit together. Although, he was beginning to realize that she would never turn, no matter how much she wanted him, and neither would he. They were stuck at an impasse. He could never become the pure Ben Solo his mother wished for no matter how tempting it was to let the First Order destroy itself so he could beg her forgiveness. No, after all he’d done, he could never. Neither could Rey give herself up so easily, he knew. 

Rather than dwell too much on what could never be, he devoted himself to meaningless raids on Resistance camps he knew would not sway the tide of war. And he thought obsessively about how she’d felt against him in only a towel.

Another week went by, and Ben feared the worst. She hadn’t appeared to him at all, and though he knew she was alive by the faint pulse he felt in the Force, he didn’t know how alive she was. She could be anywhere, in any sort of trouble, in unimaginable pain, but he didn’t know because she had never let him that far into her mind. He just wanted to see her, know that she was okay before he tore apart the universe looking for her.

He sat down heavily on the edge of his bed, hands running through his hair and over his face. A glance at the clock told him he should be asleep, but sleep hadn’t come easily in two weeks. Rather, he would lie in bed and think about what she could be doing, if she thought about him,  _ what _ she thought about him. His mind would run in circles until it tired itself and he fell asleep out of necessity in the early hours of the morning.

All he needed was some sign that she still existed beyond his mind’s conjuration of her. Some small indication— 

“Ben?”

Something tugged the back of his cloak, and he turned to see her lying on his bed, covered in bandages and a hospital gown.

Her voice, soft and raspy, both soothed him and brought emotion to his eyes.

“What happened?” he whispered, running a gentle hand over the bandages that covered her upper arm. She winced, and he pulled his hand back, feeling her pain over the connection.

“There was a fire at the base,” she explained, grabbing his hand. “I’m okay. But some got burned worse than me.”

He knew his eyes silently asked her, but he couldn’t bring himself to get the words out.

Her eyes softened, and she squeezed his hand, telling him, “Leia is fine. We all got out, and we’ve moved the base.”

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I — I was scared,” he confessed, unable to lie to those eyes that saw right through him. “I thought something had happened, wondered if I’d scared you, hoped you didn’t hate me. I don’t think I’ve slept in two weeks.”

Rey’s gentle smile filled him with warmth. “I’m glad you were thinking of me,” she admitted. “I’ve done a lot of thinking, too.” She squeezed his hand again, and he brought his other one to her cheek, running his fingers against it.

“I thought you hated me,” he murmured. He could see the conflict in her eyes at his words and knew it was deserved.

“I . . . can’t hate you. I don’t know why.” Her voice faltered, and he slid his thumb over her brow.

“I know,” he replied. “The Force won’t let us hate each other.”

Rey looked at him closely, so closely he thought she could almost read his mind. “Do you know why we connected today?”

“Why?”

“Because I just woke up, and you were the first thing I thought of.”

Ben took a shuddering breath. “And I haven’t thought of anything but you since we kissed.” He leaned closer to her, lying down as best he could on the edge of his bed. “Do you still think I’m a monster?”

She hesitated, clearly trying to choose her words carefully. “No, but . . . I think you’re misguided. If you would let go of your hate and your anger, you and I could be happy. Together.”

Together sounded wonderful. Ben sighed. “But do you really think I’d be accepted if I did that? All the things I’ve done — and I can’t be the Ben Solo you expect. I can’t be pure and good and light and —”

“ — And no one expects you to be,” Rey told him firmly. “Ben, do you think that the people on the light side are angels? Because I can assure you, we are not. We are human, and we make mistakes, and we fix our mistakes. None of us are completely good. If we were, don’t you think that would be as barbaric as being completely evil?”

“But—” He felt his excuses falling away as the shadow within him struggled to stay. “I can’t just  _ do  _ that, you know? What am I without my power? How can I be anything but Kylo Ren?”

Rey threaded her fingers through his hair. “You can be  _ anything _ , Ben. You can be  _ Ben _ . Just Ben. You can be you, and I can be me, and we can get through this together because we define ourselves.”

No words came, only tears that would not stop and a feeling that even though they were planets apart, he’d just come home. He pressed a kiss to her lips, careful not to touch her bandages.

“I’ll do it,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll end this war and we can build something better. Just wait for me. I don’t think I can do anything without you.”

Rey nodded, tears filling her eyes, too. “I’ve always been waiting,” she reminded him. “But I guess I didn’t know what I was waiting for.”

She vanished, but he didn’t feel the loss he had before. She had always been there, in the corner of his mind, and he would have to find her, right after he destroyed the First Order.

She hadn’t seen him in ages. She knew he was okay given the reports of the First Order’s internal affairs, but the Force hadn’t connected them in months. It wasn’t that she missed him, she told herself. She just wanted to see him, which was different.

“Rey? Earth to Rey?” Finn waved a hand in front of her face, bringing her back to the cafeteria of sorts they were sitting in.

“Sorry, what?”

“You’ve been so spacey lately. I just told you that the First Order has spontaneously combusted.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, literally.”

“What?”

Finn grinned and showed her a video clip. “Literally, their commanding ship exploded.”

The video showed the ship exploding from multiple areas then completely flying apart.

Rey’s jaw dropped. “What about — what about the people on board?”

“That’s the crazy thing. No one was on board except those completely loyal to Snoke. They all just evacuated or something and no one noticed. All the higher ups, apparently they were locked in a room until it exploded.”

“So . . . the First Order is gone? We won?”

Finn nodded. “I mean, General Organa hasn’t released an official statement yet, and Kylo Ren is nowhere to be found, but the whole base knows.”

“I can’t believe it just . . . ended like that. All that fighting, and suddenly the First Order destroys itself. Literally.” Rey put her head in her hands. “I need to . . . I need to take a walk. This is a lot to process.”

Finn patted her back understandingly. “No problem. I’ll let you know when the General makes a statement.”

Rey got up and found the nearest exit, then walked outside quickly, not wanting to run into anyone else. Luckily, she made it far enough away into the woods surrounding the camp that no one else would bother her.

He’d done it, like he said he would. Somehow, Ben had taken down the First Order from within. She didn’t know when she’d started thinking of him as Ben, but it fit better than Kylo Ren. She also didn’t know if he’d gone down with the ship because she usually didn’t search for him in the Force. Now, though, she needed to know if he was okay, if he’d made it out or not. How he’d done it.

_ Ben, where are you? _ she asked the Force.  _ Are you there? Answer me. _ She had no idea if he could even hear her.

Rey let down the walls she normally put up, searching for the pulse of light that told her he was there.  _ Ben. _

_ I’m here _ , she heard back, his voice deep and warm even through the Force. She spun around, searching the thick woods for any sign of movement.

“Where?” she cried, not realizing she’d asked aloud. “Where are you?”

“Here,” he said, appearing in front of her with open arms.

She ran to him, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly, feeling his warmth through the layers of black.

“I’m right here,” he answered, rubbing her back and her hair softly.

“You did it,” she half-sobbed.

“It’s done. I have most of the Stormtroopers and workers on another planet. They’re willing to follow me, I think. The remainder of the First Order, those that managed to escape, are scattered. They won’t be a threat. The problem is me.” Ben lifted her head, gazing at her concern in his eyes. “I don’t know if the Resistance will ever trust me, no matter what I say.”

Rey sighed. “It’s worth a try. Once they know you took down the First Order, I’m sure they’ll be more open to the idea. And I think you can convince them with actions better than words, anyway.”

Ben squeezed her. “I think I should let things quiet down a bit first. Wait for . . . the General to make an official statement.”

Rey didn’t miss what he’d called Leia, but she ignored it for his sake. “That might be a good idea. Where are you anyway? They said you just disappeared.”

“I’m in an unaffiliated starship, one of the trading ones. I’ll be fine for a while.”

She nodded and buried her face in his chest again. “When I heard that the ship had blown up, I was so worried. I didn’t know if you were on it or not. I thought that maybe — maybe—”

“Rey,” he interrupted, pulling her closer. “Shhh, I’m here. I’m alive. I’m not going to leave you.”

“I want to see you,” she whispered into his chest, clutching his shirt. She felt him tense but continued anyway. “In person. I don’t want you to disappear.”

“Rey, I . . .” Ben lifted her chin with a gentle hand, and the longing in his eyes made her heart clench. “I want that, too. I don’t know when I can get away, or how to do it, but I promise you, I’ll find you.”

“Meet me on Voria 2.” Her hand made its way up to his cheek. “When you can get away, tell me.” For the first time, Rey let down the walls she put up between her and Ben, letting her emotions mix with his. The sensation made the world spin for a moment, but Ben’s arms around her steadied her. She could feel him letting down his own walls, and the intimacy of the connection shocked her. The light inside him far outshone the shadow that still lingered, and the warmth that came rushing toward her made her knees go weak.

“Rey,” he murmured, and her name echoed in their connection. All the things he felt for her surrounded her, comforting her. With a softness she’d never seen from him, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She returned the kiss, her hands wrapping themselves in his hair, body pressing against his. Just as he was deepening the kiss, just as she was wrapping her hands more firmly around his neck— 

Rey fell forward, suddenly unsupported and very cold. “Ben, where—” She stopped, tears gathering as she took in the empty woods.  _ Ben? _ she asked, reaching for him through the Force.

_ Rey _ , he answered.  _ I’ll see you. Just wait. _

A week later, Ben waited on a cliff watching waves crash below him. The island he was on was abandoned, its only inhabitants small birds and rodents. The rocks rose out of the water, craggy and irregular, before dropping sharply like someone had sliced off half the island. This drop was where he stood, waiting. He could feel her getting closer, and the Force keened, trying to pull them together.

He waited until her ship landed behind him before turning and watching as the cockpit opened. And then he found himself walking quicker and quicker as she jumped down from the plane and ran toward him and he ran too and the Force screamed and everything went silent.

For a few precious moments, he only knew the feeling of her lips, the tightness of her embrace. Slowly, sound and heat and wind came back to him, engulfing him in sensation doubled by reverberations from Rey.

They released each other, panting and winded but unwilling to separate too far. Ben’s world seemed sharper and clearer than before, as if a filter had been lifted and he was truly seeing for the first time. 

“Rey,” he said, voice hoarse and raw.

“Ben,” she answered breathily.

In the week that had passed, the First Order had completely self-destructed, leaving thousands of Stormtroopers to be rehabilitated and emergency governments to be hastily erected. Ben could only wonder at how busy Rey had been when he, himself, had had no free time. Her face looked thinner than he’d last seen it, skin duller and body practically nothing enveloped in his giant frame, but her eyes shone like a sun in all its glory.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, laying his chin on the top of her head.

She snuggled deeper into him, replying, “I missed you. So much. It was the only thing that kept me going.”

“Whatever happens next doesn’t matter,” he decided. “This happiness makes up for all those years I spent killing my own soul. I don’t deserve you, but I’m so grateful you’re here with me.”

“Ben, I love you.” The simple way she said it spoke of the volume of truth behind her words. He could feel the Force repeating her, as if it wanted to make sure he believed it.

Tears pricked at his eyes. “I love you, too, Rey, more than I’ve loved anything I’ve ever known.” He squeezed her tightly, and she soothingly rubbed his back.

“Would you like to come back with me?” she inquired, telling him through the Force that this was his choice to make, and she wouldn’t push him to do anything.

He let the words roll around in his head. Would he like to come  _ back? _ Not to a place he’d never been, but to a place he’d once known. Not to some backup Resistance base on an unknown planet, but  _ home _ .

Would he like to come home?

“Yes. Yes, I would.”


End file.
